On July 13, 1981, Duran Duran released their third single, "Girls on Film." The song arrived a month after the band's self-titled debut LP, which was in the Top 10 the week "Girls on Film" landed in stores.
After Duran Duran's previous single, "Careless Memories," didn't live up to its chart potential, "Girls on Film" was a welcome return to the poppy vibe of their debut hit, "Planet Earth."
The song starts with a clicking camera sound before jumping into a funky rhythmic strut — courtesy of John Taylor's rubber-band-stretch bass lines and Roger Taylor's percolating drums — and a vibrant counterpoint: Andy Taylor's lilting, slashing riffs and Nick Rhodes' avant, spacey keyboards.